As wakesurfing continues to gain popularity nationwide, the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) has emphasized the sport's positive impact, from bringing families and communities together to supporting small businesses and lakeside economies. Like all forms of boating, wakesurfing can be enjoyed responsibly, with a focus on balancing environmental stewardship and public access.
NMMA has been actively engaged in these discussions for years. Working alongside partners including the Water Sports Industry Association (WSIA) and the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas (MRAA), NMMA has invested in scientific research, public education and community engagement to ensure wakesurfing remains a safe, sustainable and accessible activity.
NMMA's position
NMMA supports commonsense, statewide regulations that are consistent, science-based and fair. The association opposes unnecessary bans and overly restrictive local ordinances that create a patchwork of rules, complicating enforcement and undermining equitable public access.
NMMA believes a statewide standard that requires wakesurfing 200 feet from shore in depths of 10 feet or greater minimizes environmental impacts while maintaining opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to enjoy this activity. This approach is consistent with the best available science and aligns with WSIA's Wake Responsibly campaign, which promotes education on responsible boating practices.
Why it matters
Protecting Access: Public waters belong to everyone. Restrictive bans or inconsistent rules unfairly limit access for boaters who wish to responsibly enjoy wakesurfing and other watersports.
Safeguarding the Environment: Commonsense statewide rules provide the right balance – protecting natural resources while ensuring recreation remains possible. The statewide regulations in Tennessee, South Carolina and Georgia are just some examples of how this balance works in practice.
Supporting Communities: Wakesurfing encourages time outside, expands opportunities for people across all ages and physical abilities, and fuels lakeside businesses, tourism and jobs.
NMMA letter
We all share a commitment to protecting our waterways. The National Marine Manufacturers Association and independent experts have long supported 200-foot distance and 10-foot depth guidelines, based on modeling and sediment science showing minimal impact. Research also finds that responsibly operated wakeboats produce waves comparable to natural, wind-driven waves.
Wakesurfing is a growing activity that supports family traditions, lakeside tourism, small businesses, more than 25,000 Minnesotan jobs, and a $6.9 billion recreational boating economy.
Because wakesurfing occurs at speeds of 10 to 12 miles per hour—rather than the 20 to 25 miles per hour typical of most other towed water sports—it can be less strenuous and more accessible for people of all ages and abilities.
Proposed bans may feel simple, but they jeopardize access for boaters and anglers and threaten local marinas and lakeside businesses. That is why we support common-sense, statewide regulations—such as those in Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina, and Alabama—that require wakesurfing at least 200 feet from shore. These approaches protect local economies, lakefront communities, boater access, and the environment without creating a patchwork of local rules.
Education is also essential. NMMA supports the Wake Responsibly campaign, which promotes minimizing repetitive passes, keeping music at respectful levels, and maintaining safe distances from shore.
Minnesota can protect its lakes and preserve cherished recreation by adopting clear, consistent statewide standards grounded in science and common sense."
NMMA shared that the same week, Outdoor News ran an op-ed by Endicott Fay, a professional engineer, maritime architect and expert of hydrodynamics, titled "Wakeboats can responsibly co-exist with other forms of Minnesota boating."